Caloric engine



A.A. HENDERSON.

CALORIG ENGINE.

No. 30,315. Patented 0013.9, 1860.

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UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW A. HENDERSON, OF PORTSMOUTH', NEW' HAMPSHIRE.

CALORIC ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,315, dated October 9, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. A. HENDERSON, of Portsmouth, in the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and luseful Improvements in` Oaloric Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part arrow marked opposite to that line. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the invention. Fig.

4f is a side elevation of the supply piston de" tached. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists, 1st, in the arrangement of a flame space between the sup ply cylinder and the working cylinder, whereby a more intense and quicker heating of the air in said cylinders is ei'iected; 2nd, the arrangement of an eccentric frame suspended from a suitable pivot and operated by an eccentric in such manner that the supply piston receives the desired motion in ad- Vance of the working piston and that a reversing of the engine is rendered possible ;l 3rd, the combination with the supply piston of the regenerator in such a manner that both move together and that the air in passing from one side of the piston to the other, is compelled to pass through said regenerator where it takes up the heat stored up therein, so that when it arrives in the center of heat it takes but little time to heat it to the desired temperature; 4th, in the arrangement of a reversible eccentric in combination with a spring bar for the purpose of opening and closing the exhaust valve instantaneously as the crank passes its centers.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawing.

Two cylinders A, and Gr, with spherical bottoms are cast together leaving between them a space at, for the lame to pass between. The working cylinder A, which is on the top, is open at one end and the lower or supply c linder G, is provided with a head and stu ng box L. A spring valve M, opens inward on the head of the cylinder G, and both cylinders communicate with each other by the port U. The capacity of both cylinders may be equal, but by making the supply cylinder greater, an increaseV of power may be obtained.

The working cylinder is placed above and at one side to allow room for the eccentric N, in a vertical line with the center of the lower cylinder. The spherical ends of the two cylinders are inclosed in a furnace S, from which the smoke is carried oit by a pipe T.

The supply cylinder G, has on its upper side outside of the furnace a valve box R, inclosing the exhaust valve b, which opens inward. Motion is imparted to this valve from an eccentric X, on the main shaft, through the rod c. This eccentric is loose on the shaft being secured by a catch for reversing, and it operates against the inclined planes on the spring rod (l, in such a manner that the valve opened by the eccentric is closed by the spring.

The pistons of bot-h cylinders are alike in general form those parts of the same which enter the furnace ends of the cylinders being prolonged with spherical extremities so that the rubbing surfaces are removed fromthe effect of high heat.

The working piston B, is united by a connecting rod O, to a crank D, on the shaft E, which bears a fly wheel F. This piston is cast in two pieces united by screw bolts. A hollow cylindrical part B, iitting the cylinder has bolted against its outer open end a ring B2, and between them is formed the re cess B3, which receives the packing of the piston. This packing must of course be made of metal. The part B', is cast with a diaphragm B4, dividing it into a closed chamber B5, (occupying that part of the piston which enters the furnace) and an open space BG. The rod C, is in direct connection with the piston by a center fixed in the diaphragm B4, (similar to a trunk engine) and it vibrates in the open space B6. By this arrangement the packing of the piston is removed from the center of heat and the conducted heat is to a certain extent carried 0H and moderated through the access of cold air to the walls of the space Bf.

The piston J, of the supply cylinder has a piston rod H, passing through the stuliing box L, and its outer extremity works in a guide K.

On the shaft E, over the center of the supply cylinder G, is an eccentric N, which acts on an eccentric frame or strip P, suspended from a center e, above said shaft. This center is fixed in the end of an arm O, bolted to the cylinder A. The eccentric N, is loose on the shaft (with a catch) for reversing. An arm P, extends from the eccentric frame P, down to the piston rod H, with which it is connected by the stirrup I. This stirrup can be disconnected from the piston rod and the latter may be moved by a hand lever, which may be necessary for the purpose of starting the engine.

The eccentric frame P, receives a pendulum motion by the action of the eccentric N, against the upper and lower surfaces and it is so arranged, that its throw in one direction occurs in one twelfthof a revolution and its throw in the other direction occupies one fourth of a revolution of the shaft E. The motion of this frame, which is communicated to the piston J, governs the transfer of cold air from the outer to the inner or furnace end of the supply cylinder, as will be presently more fully explained, and as the power of the engine will be increased the more rapidly this transfer can be made relatively to the stroke of the working piston, it follows, that the engine will work with more power in one direction than in the other. This direction is indicated by the arrows marked on the crank in Figs. l, and 2, and on the fly wheel in Fio'. 3.

The supply piston J, is cast in two pieces, the prolonged piece J, and the piston head J. The piece J, forms a hollow cylinder closed at its furnace end and open at the other against which the piston head is bolted. The body of the cylinder J, is of less diameter than the bore of the supply cylinder, so as to leave a space f, for the passage of air between the two, but its furnace end is extended by a disk J 2, which lits the cylinder, and the transit of air from the space f, to the furnace end of the cylinder takes place through a recess J 3, and by holes g, passing from the bottom of said recess through the disk J 2. This recess is fitted with wire gauze closely packed4 or with any other suitable fibrous material kept in place by a ring Q. Thus packed the recess J3, forms a regenerator through which the air must pass both in supply and exhaust. The piston head J which also fits closely into the cylinder Gr, is secured to the body J, by means of screws or in any other convenient manner, and close behind this head is the recess J 4, which serves to receive the ring W. This ring acts both as valve and as packing, and the recess J 4, has sufficient width and depth to allow the ring W, to

recede from the piston Vhead and to bear piston moves out. The course taken by the air is shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows. The engine is single acting and it has most power when the revolution is in the direction of the arrows marked on the crank in Figs. l, and 2, and on the iy wheel in Fig. 3, as above stated. If both pistons -are at the inner or furnace end of the cylinders, when the engine stops, a small motion imparted to the supply piston either by turning the fly wheel or by means of a starting bar, will be suflicient to remove the valve W, from the piston head J and the cold air which has entered into the supply cylinder through the valve M, during the return stroke of the piston, will rush through the passage in the piston J, and through the regenerator to the furnace end of the cylinder. By thus being brought in contact with the hot walls of the supply cylinder the air expands Aand it rushes through the opening U, into the working cylinder causing the working piston to move in the direction of the arrow marked near it in Fig. l. By this motion of the working piston the crank shaft is caused to rotate and the eccentric N, by coming in contact with the inner surface of the eccentric frame P, causes the supply piston to move suddenly to the outer end of its stroke whereby a large quantity of cold air is admitted to the furnace end of the supply cylinder and through the action of this airY as it expands through the influence of the heated walls of both cylinders, the working piston is enabled to nish its stroke. From this it will be understood that the sooner the stroke of the supply piston is completed as compared with the stroke of the working piston, the greater will be the power of the engine. The return stroke is accomplished by the action of the fly wheel and as soon as the crank has passed its outer center, the exhaust valve is opened bythe action of the eccentric X, and the hot air contained in both cylinders is allowed to pass through the regenerator and through the passage in the supply piston J, out into the open atmosphere. In passing through the regenerator the air deposits a portion of its caloric which on the next succeeding stroke is absorbed by the cold air rushing in through the valve M, and through the passage in the piston J. At the same time by causing the supply piston to accomplish its stroke in a fractional part of the working piston, the former is allowed to remain stationary in the furnace end of the supply cylinder the same as in its outer end, and during the time it thus remains in the furnace end, the regenerator and all the adjoining parts are heated to a high temperature, and as the crank passes the inner center, the exhaust valve closes and the action of the pistons commences again as above described and the cold air in passing through the regenerator is heated to such a degree, that its action on the working piston takes place instantaneously as it enters the furnace ends of the cylinders.

For the purpose of reversing the engine all that is necessary is to reverse the eccentrics N, and X, and to start the engine in the opposite direction and it will be easily understood that the eccentric frame P, may be so arranged that the throw of the supply L piston in either direction will be accomplished during the same portion of the stroke of the working piston and in this case the power of the engine in either direction would be the same. In this case it is likely that the stroke of the supply piston in one eighth of a revolution will be best adapted for practical purposes. In order to stop the engine the stirrup I, or the eX- haust valve is disconnected.

The power obtained by this engine will be equal to about et or pounds pressure per square inch with a temperature of 491O F ahr., and by increasing the relative capacity of the supply cylinder and by attaining higher temperatures the power may be still further increased. By this arrangement of the cylinders and of the exhaust valve all back pressure is avoided and by having the ends of both cylinders inclosed in the furnace with a ame space between A them the fire surface is considerably increased. The air as it passes into the furnace ends of the cylinders, is nearer to the center of the heat than in other air engines and by giving to the supply piston a period of rest in the furnace it acquires heat during its rest. The capacity of the supply cylinder may be increased at pleasure, and by connecting the working piston directly to the crank, the length of the working cylinder maybe reduced.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The arrangement of the flame space al, between the cylinders A, and Gr, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of an eccentric frame P, and reversible eccentric N, in combination with the supply piston J, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the regenerator J3, with the supply piston J, COnStructedand operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The arrangement of the reversible eccentric X, in combination with the spring rod al, and exhaust valve b, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

ANDREV A. HENDERSON. Witnesses:

L. WV. BENDR, B. GIRoUX. 

